Beef bourguignon with tomato and rosemary

Serves

Prep Time

Cook Time

Ingredients

1 kg beef topside, round or blade

1 large brown onion, cut into thin wedges

200 g button mushrooms, halved

400 g can diced tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves

2 1/2 cups beef stock

mashed potato and steamed zucchini to serve

Cut beef into 2.5-3cm cubes. Season with salt and pepper, add about 2 tbsp oil and mix well. Heat a large frypan over a medium-high heat. Brown the beef in 2 batches. Remove each batch and place in a heavy-based pot.
Add the onion and mushrooms to the frypan and cook for 5 minutes. Add the stock, tomatoes, tomato paste and rosemary. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to simmering point.
Pour mixture over the beef in the heavy-based pot. Partially cover, keep the heat low. Cook until the beef is very tender. Stir occasionally, and add water if needed during the cooking time to keep ingredients covered. Serve with mashed potato and zucchini.

Best beef cuts for or casseroling or braising: chuck or boneless shin/gravy beef take 2-2½ hours to cook. Topside, round and blade take 1-1½ hours to cook.
Don't rush the initial stage of browning the meat. This will help make the dish rich in colour and flavour.
Simmer the casserole gently and taste it to see if it's ready. Stir occasionally and adjust the heat as it cooks if needed. When it's done the meat should be tender enough to fall apart easily with a fork.